Randomized Study Comparing Radiofrequency Ablation with the PVAC Gold System vs. Antiarrhythmic Drugs in Elderly Patients with Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: There are no randomized studies comparing the maintenance of sinus rhythm after catheter ablation (CA) concerning treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs (AA) in elderly patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objectives: To compare the clinical results of pulmonary vein (PV) isolation with the second-generation PVAC Gold catheter against AA treatment in elderly people with recurrent symptomatic paroxysmal AF, refractory to at least one AA, and without structural heart disease.

Methods: Sixty patients with paroxysmal AF ≥ 65 years old were randomized to two forms of treatment: group 1: CA and group 2: AA drugs.

Can changes in land use in a semi-arid region of Brazil cause seasonal variation in energy partitioning and evapotranspiration?

Changes to forests due to deforestation, or their replacement by agricultural areas, alter evapotranspiration and the partitioning of available energy. This study investigated seasonal variations in the energy balance and evapotranspiration in landscapes under different levels of anthropogenic intervention in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Micrometeorological data was obtained from September 2020 to October 2022 for three areas of the semi-arid region: preserved Caatinga (CAA, native vegetation), Caatinga under regeneration (REGE) and a deforested area (DEFA).

Consensus of the Brazilian Association of Hematology, Hemotherapy and Cellular Therapy (ABHH) and the Brazilian Ministry of Health - General management of blood and blood products on the tests necessary for the release of exceptional medicines for sickle cell disease.

To date, hydroxyurea is the only effective and safe drug that significantly reduces morbidity and mortality of individuals with Sickle cell disease. Twenty years of real-life experience has demonstrated that hydroxyurea reduces pain attacks, vaso-occlusive events, including acute chest syndrome, the number and duration of hospitalizations and the need for transfusion. The therapeutic success of hydroxyurea is directly linked to access to the drug, the dose used and adherence to treatment which, in part, is correlated to the availability of hydroxyurea.

Adapting lean management to prevent healthcare-associated infections: a low-cost strategy involving Kamishibai cards to sustain bundles' compliance.

Lean healthcare visual management has been successfully integrated into infection control programs, leading to lower healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates and greater provider compliance with evidence-based prevention practices; however, its implementation during quality improvement (QI) initiatives in limited-resource settings has not yet been well exploited. We aimed to describe a low-cost strategy involving Kamishibai cards to sustain bundles' adherence to prevent HAIs in a middle-income country. This descriptive case study evaluated the implementation of a lean healthcare visual management tool-Kamishibai board (K-board)-during a nationwide QI collaborative preventing three critical HAIs in 189 adult and pediatric/neonatal intensive care units (ICUs) from September 2021 to January 2023.

A simple drug-delivery microneedling technique modality successfully improves linear atrophic scars.

Background: Atrophic scars are white, dermal depressions, caused by the destruction of collagen fibers and decrease in epidermal cells, following inflammation after different types of trauma. They lead to significant physical, aesthetic and psychological barriers and their treatment remain a therapeutic challenge for dermatologists. Microneedling has been shown to improve scars by stimulating angiogenesis and neocolagenesis and the combination of anti-fibrotic drugs could potentialize the results.

How is the water footprint of the species , , and influenced by abiotic stresses as water deficit and salinity?

In semi-arid regions, is necessary to explore strategies to mitigate abiotic stresses such as water deficit and salinity. This study aimed to evaluate the stress tolerance capacity of three species subjected to different water regimes and salinity levels, based on dry matter production and water use efficiency (WUE). The species , , and were evaluated in combination with different water regimes (50%, 75%, and 100% of reference evapotranspiration - ET) and salinity levels (0.

In vitro evaluation of the efficacy of 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives for the control of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, the causative agent of Petri disease in grapevines.

Aim: This study evaluates the in vitro efficacy of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) derivatives in controlling the phytopathogenic fungus Phaeomoniella chlamydospora.

Methods And Results: The in vitro tests assessed the susceptibility to the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), checkerboard assay, mycelial growth (MG) inhibition, and EC50 determination. Among the seven agricultural fungicides tested, tebuconazole (TEB) displayed the lowest MIC, 1.

Consumption of ultra- and non-ultra-processed foods of individuals with normal-weight obesity.

The normal-weight obesity (NWO) is highly associated with an increased risk for chronic non-communicable diseases and intricately linked to diet quality. Therefore, we assessed the consumption of ultra-processed and non-ultraprocessed foods of 224 Brazilian adults with NWO ( 159) and without NWO ( 65, non-NWO) in a cross-sectional study. For that, three dietary recalls were applied and categorised according to the NOVA classification.

Monitoring Energy Balance, Turbulent Flux Partitioning, Evapotranspiration and Biophysical Parameters of (Cactaceae) in the Brazilian Semi-Arid Environment.

The in-situ quantification of turbulent flux and evapotranspiration (ET) is necessary to monitor crop performance in stressful environments. Although cacti can withstand stressful conditions, plant responses and plant-environment interactions remain unclear. Hence, the objective of our study was to investigate the interannual and seasonal behaviour of components of the surface energy balance, environmental conditions, morphophysiological parameters, biomass yield and water relations in a crop of in the semi-arid region of Brazil.

Prevalence and factors associated with symptoms of depression in family members of people hospitalized in the intensive care unit.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with depression in family members of people hospitalized in intensive care units.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 980 family members of patients admitted to the intensive care units of a large public hospital in the interior of Bahia. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-8.

Tomographic pleuropulmonary manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis: a pictorial essay.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory and heterogeneous disease that affects several systems, especially the joints. Among the extra-articular manifestations of RA, pleuropulmonary involvement occurs frequently, with different presentations, potentially in all anatomic thoracic compartments, and may determine high morbidity and mortality. The most common pleuropulmonary manifestations in patients with RA include interstitial lung disease (ILD), pleural disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, rheumatoid lung nodules, airway disease (bronchiectasis and bronchiolitis), and lymphadenopathy.

Leishmania infantum NTPDase1 and NTPDase2 play an important role in infection and nitric oxide production in macrophages.

Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of American Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), is known for its ability to modulate the host immune response to its own favor. Ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (ENTPDase) represents a family of enzymes that hydrolyze nucleotides and are involved in nucleotide-dependent biological processes. L.

A Retrospective Cohort Study of Combined Therapy in West Syndrome associated with Trisomy 21.

West syndrome (WS) is a frequent epileptic encephalopathy associated with Down syndrome (DS). This study evaluated an outpatient protocol for WS in patients with DS who received vigabatrin (VGB) or VGB plus adrenocorticotrophic hormone. We analyzed infants treated in two neuropediatric centers from 2001-2021.

Participation and diversity - the inclusive and multiepistemic construction of Global Health.

The shaping of a new field to encompass health formulations and practices on a planetary scale must consider the multiple agents and territories involved and their differences and inequalities. The inclusion of different social segments in the decision-making processes and theoretical elaboration of Global Health, through participation, is presented as a strategic and necessary condition for facing transnational issues. This participation ensures political and epistemic diversity in establishing a global health committed to Global Health equity.

The diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging compared to computed tomography in the evaluation of fat-containing thoracic lesions.

Intrathoracic fat-containing lesions may arise in the mediastinum, lungs, pleura, or chest wall. While CT can be helpful in the detection and diagnosis of these lesions, it can only do so if the lesions contain scopic fat. Furthermore, because CT cannot demonstrate microscopic or intravoxel fat, it can fail to identify and diagnose microscopic fat-containing lesions.

Understanding interactive processes: a review of CO flux, evapotranspiration, and energy partitioning under stressful conditions in dry forest and agricultural environments.

Arid and semiarid environments are characterized by low water availability (e.g., in soil and atmosphere), high air temperature, and irregularity in the spatio-temporal distribution of rainfall.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)-Induced Dyskinesias in Infantile Spasms: A Video Case Report.

BACKGROUND Infantile spasms is an age-specific epilepsy syndrome that occurs during infancy and is characterized by tonic and/or flexor-extensor spasms, hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalography (EEG), and neurodevelopmental regression. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is considered one of the main therapies for the treatment of infantile spasms, but despite its great efficacy, it is still associated with potential adverse effects. CASE REPORT Four patients previously diagnosed with infantile spasms were treated with ACTH following the usual treatment regimen.